Author Archives: James

Several years ago, I visited the Royal BC Museum Archives to harvest the valuable information regarding the trial of Joseph Keane. Mathew Roderick was killed by Keane as he was returning to recover the two gold bars he stashed in … Continue reading →

Video by Frank Fleming with permission from Royal BC Museum AAAA2467

Good treasure hunts start in the library and end in the courtroom. In between are days of reality in the great outdoors, frustration, realization and hopefully success. Over my decade search for the lost gold bars of Camp McKinney, the … Continue reading →

When WR Gay worked in partnership with Brady, he aided Mary Roderick as she struggled in the aftermath of Mathew’s shooting death near Camp McKinney in October of 1896. Wilson sent an investigator to the mining camp to learn what … Continue reading →

The Faux-Victorian house was built in King County, Seattle in 1892. Matt and Mary probably bought the home that same year due to rapid growth in the city’s population. The photo, taken by the city for tax purposes, is from … Continue reading →

Near the end of June, I will be seventy years old. I would complain except not everyone gets to reach the milestone. It’s with very mixed emotions that I continue to grow ever older. For me, the worst part of … Continue reading →

This is a great time to be writing a memoir; hell it’s a good time to be writing anything. The memoir portion is relatively easy as I have lived the story and kept detailed records through it all. After telling … Continue reading →

10 trips resulted in 6,230 kilometers (3871 miles) driven; $11,142.00 spent in 2012 19 trips resulted in 10,462 kilometers (6500 miles) driven; $2897.53 spent in 2013 20 trips resulted in 11,960 kilometers (7431 miles) driven; $6472.22 spent in 2014 10 … Continue reading →

Some say life is like a roll of toilet paper… the closer we get to the end, the quicker it goes. At sixty-nine years of age, I’m spiralling towards the end at a fair clip. If I’m lucky, family genetics … Continue reading →

While operating a small, mixed irrigated farm in southern Alberta, I noticed this small miracle. The four birds only roosted in that manner for that one night. Similar accounts have been recorded over the years, something unlikely to happen in … Continue reading →